7 Ways To Find Motivation When Feeling Burned Out

How many times have you been in a situation where you enjoyed the work but at the same time couldn’t complete much because you felt burnt out?

I bet quite a few. And you said to yourself that next time you will be motivated regardless of your fatigue levels or mental exhaustion.

Even though this may include examples from both personal and professional levels, the outcome would be similar. From being stressed out at work or something unfortunate happening in your life, these events can easily drain your mental and physical energy, preventing you for completing your tasks.

"Find a place inside where there's joy and the joy will burn out the pain"- Joseph Campbell

Let’s see 7 easy tips that can help you maintain your motivation and vitality levels when feeling mentally or physically burned out:

7 Ways To Find Motivation When Feeling Burned Out

The feeling of mental or physical tiredness is not only experienced by millions per day but also natural among humans, since we put all our effort in producing great results. Fortunately, we can always try and use certain ways where we can recharge our energy and bring back the enthusiasm we had earlier on the day.

1. Make sure to take small breaks throughout the day

Tiredness is often the product of hard work and long hours in order to produce short-term results.

Research suggests that you can perform at your best when intermittently boosting your mental energy throughout the day.

Try taking a brief walk, go for a quick run or even have a lunch away from your workspace when feeling pressured or after many hours of continuous eyestrain. Taking breaks away from your desk can help you refocus, relax and calm down after stressful tasks.

2. Hide you mobile phone and any other digital devices

Before smartphones were launched, we would finish work and go straight back home to relax or socialise with friends. However, we sometimes use our phones to do work everywhere we go without allowing ourselves to mentally rest.

In other words, we seem to be attached to our phone and checking it every now and then, even though we may not need to.

Focus on hiding it as soon as you arrive at home and avoid it for the rest of the day. You will soon realise that your work-life balance has further improved.

3. Engage in social activities with friends and family

We should all ideally use our free time for pleasurable activities with friends or family. Try participating in activities that will make you happy, meet new people and experience new things in life.

From going to the park, attending a concert, or even trying the new local restaurant, you can always make your free time fun and enjoyable.

You will not only get to spend quality time with your loved ones but will also become more productive when you start work the next day.

4. Fully enjoy the weekend

We sometimes feel mentally drained because we simply need time off. When it comes to recharging your batteries, a three to four day long weekend will work in the same way as a much longer one.

You will get to relax, maybe see something new - if you decide to travel, and take your mind off of work-related responsibilities.

The options here are vast, from trying something new, doing an outdoor hobby to visiting family and friends, they will all help you recharge your batteries for optimum long-term performance.

5. Plan your tasks and activities

A simple reason for experiencing an emotional burnout is because we are unorganized. In other words, we start thinking about all our tasks without having a specific plan on how we are complete every single one.

Proper planning, organisation and prioritisation of your tasks will help you become more productive and in turn, reduce your stress and anxiety levels.

So, make sure to note down the tasks of the next day, set your priorities by starting with the most important one and make this a healthy habit. If you visualize your tasks and errands, you would simply avoid being overwhelmed and add more quality to your day.

6. Avoid procrastinating

Have you ever found yourself delaying before working on an important task and maybe not even starting it? Well, this is quite common among many of us.

A study done by Dr. John Bargh showed that when we are about to start a big project, our brain tends to engage with small and non-trivial tasks. In other words, we are inclined to focus on meaningless tasks like watching tv, and procrastinate on activities that are of true importance.

Focus on eliminating that attitude by taking forced action – you will come to realise that a few minutes after you start working, any boredom-related feelings will fade away.

7. Optimise you workspace

The environment you work in is a key factor to affecting your behaviour and performance output.

Optimising your desk or workspace will further help with your motivation and commitment, as it prevents our brain from beings distracted by bad behaviours, habits or external factors.

So, make sure to create a comfortable and clear workplace – which may be inside your house or elsewhere – with items that will only help you focus and remain productive, like a cup of coffee, calculator or notepad.

Take Away Message

Don’t let tiredness and exhaustion to be the distance between your dreams and them becoming a reality.

Try to hold yourself accountable and follow the above simple strategies when going through this journey of achievement. There will be a day in the future where you will look back and thank yourself for all the progress you will have made so far.

To recap, these are the 7 tips that will help you stay motivated when feeling burned out:

Make sure to take small breaks throughout the day

Hide you mobile phone and any other digital devices

Engage in social activities with friends and family

Fully enjoy the weekend

Plan your tasks and activities

Avoid procrastinating

Optimise you workspace

How do you boost your motivation when facing a burnout? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

About the Author

Marios Kokolakis is the Content Manager at BrainSharp. His goal? To motivate and help people live a healthier and happier life by sharing his passion for fitness and nutrition, and igniting the inner spark to achieving life goals.